mörgæs

Icelandic

FWOTD – 16 June 2018

Etymology

From mör (“suet”) +‎ gæs (“goose”), a partial calque based on the supposed derivation of penguin from Latin pinguis (“fat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmœr.caiːs/

Noun

mörgæs f (genitive singular mörgæsar, nominative plural mörgæsir)

1. penguin

   Mörgæsir eru sætar.

   Penguins are cute.

   • 1883 May 2, “Fá orð um ferðir fugla [A few words about the journeys of birds]”, in Norðanfari‎^[1], volume 22, numbers 21-22, page 47:

     Þar dvelja mörgæsirnar hina 6 vetrarmánuði og hljóta sífellt að berjast við storm og ís, er hvorttveggja hlýtur að skerða ró og ánægju fuglsins.

     The penguins stay there those 6 winter months and must continually contend with storm and ice, when both must negatively affect the tranquility and enjoyment of the bird.

   • 1979, “Eintal í dýragarðinum [Soliloquy in the zoo]”, in Dýraverndarinn‎^[2], volume 65, numbers 3-4, page 16:

     Eggin eru mjög oft ófrjó, og ef þau klekjast ekki út, leggst hin vonsvikna móðir á egg annarar mörgæsar.

     The eggs are very often infertile, and if they fail to hatch, the disappointed mother sits on the egg of another penguin.

   • 1991, “Fuglalíf á Falklandseyjum [Birdlife on the Falkland Islands]”, in Náttúrufræðingurinn‎^[3], volume 61, number 1, page 21:

     Skemmtilegast er að heimsækja mörgæsabyggðirnar enda eru engar mörgæsir fyrir norðan miðbaug.

     The most interesting [thing] is visiting the penguin settlements, since there are no penguins north of the equator.

Declension

Declension of mörgæs (feminine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	mörgæs	mörgæsin	mörgæsir	mörgæsirnar
accusative	mörgæs	mörgæsina	mörgæsir	mörgæsirnar
dative	mörgæs	mörgæsinni	mörgæsum	mörgæsunum
genitive	mörgæsar	mörgæsarinnar	mörgæsa	mörgæsanna